Richard Jefferson

When the Jazz acquired Richard Jefferson this summer, his expiring contract was supposed to be little more than a salary dump.

But the 13-year veteran is proving that he still has something to offer—he's one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA this season. His percentage from out there ranks him eighth in the league.

The problem with Jefferson is two-fold: He does little outside of hitting those threes, and his presence keeps the young wings from playing together. Obviously, one of those problems isn't his fault.

Tyrone Corbin is understandably playing the veterans because he feels they give Utah the best chance to win, and he has to be able to explain this season in future job interviews. He can justify starting Jefferson all 50 games because of his shooting and experience.

As for the other issue, that's on Jefferson. He needs to bring more to the table than the outside shooting. Defensively, he struggles to stay in front of quicker, younger wings.

And perhaps most troubling is the lack of help he provides on the glass. Trey Burke and Garrett are the only two rotation players whose rebounding percentages are lower than Jefferson's 6.2.

Enes Kanter

When a team is losing, scapegoats emerge, and a number of bloggers and fans on Twitter have directed their ire at Enes Kanter.

In a team sport when there are five guys on the floor together at all times, there's absolutely no way to logically single someone out as deserving of all the blame.

But, that doesn't mean Kanter should be immune from criticism. His defense has been suspect all season, and it's contributed to his team-worst plus/minus rating of minus-6.6.

He also hasn't been as effective as a rebounder against starting and second-team big men. In his first two seasons, he dominated the bigs he faced in his limited role as a fourth, and sometimes fifth, big man:

Trey Burke

Credit the 2013 draft class being so disastrous for Trey Burke being in the rookie of the year discussion. Only five winners have shot under 40 percent from the field, and four of them won the award in the 1950s.

Poor shooting aside, there have been a number of positives for Burke. He's second among rookies in assists per game, third in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.8 and third in scoring.

As a playmaker, Burke is excellent, and he needs to focus on being that more often. He should aim to play more like John Stockton, who averaged more assists than field-goal attempts over the course of his career.

Right now, Burke's posting over twice as many shots than assists. Frankly, three or four a game aren't good looks, especially since he hasn't developed a consistent jump shot.

If he made a more conscious effort to find his teammates, defenders would respect his ability to pass, and he'd find himself open more often. A perfect example of that playing style is Kendall Marshall, whose head is always on a swivel and who leads the NBA in three-point percentage at 49.4.

Alec Burks

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Key Stats: 12.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists

Alec Burks is likely the best scorer the Utah Jazz have, and he is undoubtedly so among the team's guards.

His ability to get from the perimeter to the rim is up there with the very best in the league, and it's the main reason he leads the Jazz in points per 36 minutes at 17 and is second to Gobert in free-throw attempts per 36 at 5.5.

Controlled explosiveness is the phrase I like to use when describing Burks' driving ability. It's like the demolition of an old stadium—it looks chaotic, but it gets the job done.

One example of this is his eurostep, which is one of the quickest in the NBA. And once he gets to the rim, his athleticism helps him finish in ways other players can only dream of.

The next step for Burks is something over which he has no control. He can make a bigger impact for the Jazz once he gets more playing time, and that's something fans have wanted for months.

Gordon Hayward

This season has been one of discovery for the Utah Jazz, and one thing we may have learned already is that Gordon Hayward isn't a No. 1 scoring option.

Don't get me wrong, Hayward can score, but he is better served doing so as a complimentary source of points.

Against opposing team's top wings and with few other elite scorers to alleviate pressure, Hayward's shooting has suffered immensely. He's posting career lows in both field-goal and three-point percentage.

Like Burke, Hayward would be better served creating for others a bit more often. The Jazz are 3-1 when he gets to double figures in assists, and one of those wins came against the defending champion Miami Heat.

Scoring for Hayward should be as a function of the offense, rather than trying to force the issue. Last season, he excelled playing off great post players like Jefferson and Millsap. This season, he's struggled to consistently beat people off the dribble and often settles for long two-point shots.

But Hayward's shooting woes shouldn't cause too much concern because the key to his game in the future lies in the other things he does.

The guy is a good old-fashioned stat-stuffer. Kevin Durant is the only other player in the NBA who averages as many points, rebounds, assists and blocks as Hayward.

And his shooting percentages should go up if Utah lands a top scorer this offseason (most likely through the draft).